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Biomedical subjects

S Pascoe

Publications and source records attributed to S Pascoe.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Prevalence of psychological distress and use of support services by cancer patients at Sydney hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depression within a cross section of cancer patients in the Sydney region, and to assess the use of and degree of satisfaction with available support services. METHOD: A survey was conducted at oncology outpatient departments of four Sydney hospitals. Participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and a questionnaire seeking information on their use of patient support services, as well as demographic and clinical information. RESULTS: A total of 504 valid questionnaires were returned. Using a cut-off score of 11 on the HADS, the prevalence of clinically significant anxiety and depression was 11.5% and 7.1% respectively; 17% of patients had received individual counselling while 6.5% had attended support groups. The majority of patients who had attended counselling or support groups reported them to have been 'extremely' or 'reasonably' helpful (86% and 83% respectively). Of the patients who were experiencing clinically significant anxiety or depression, 75% had not received any counselling or psychological treatment. The main factors which predicted clinically significant anxiety or depression were: restricted activity levels, advanced disease, a non-English-speaking background and being female. CONCLUSIONS: While the prevalence of clinically significant anxiety or depression detected by the HADS was reasonably low, a substantial number of possible cases were identified. The majority of affected patients were not accessing counselling or psychological treatment. Systematic screening of oncology patients at hospital entry might enable more immediate identification of clinically affected patients, who could then be referred for further testing or psychological treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Expression of the homebox gene Hex during early stages of chick embryo development.

Whole mount in situ hybridization studies were performed to investigate the expression pattern of the homeobox gene Hex (also known as Prh) during early stages of chick embryogenesis. At the time of laying, cHex transcripts are detected in Koller's sickle and the forming hypoblast. During gastrulation (HH stage 4), cHex is expressed in anteriorly-displaced hypoblast cells. At stage 6, cHex transcripts are observed within endoderm in an anterior are that overlaps the cardiogenic region. Later cHex expression is observed within pharyngeal endoderm immediately adjacent to the forming myocardium, in the endocardium and in the liver and thyroid gland primordia. cHex transcripts are also detected within blood islands beginning at stage 4, and in extraembryonic and intraembryonic vascular endothelial cells as vessels form.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Hospital admissions. Cold remedies.

The closure of a casualty department provoked a crisis in Hillingdon in the winter of 1996-97. Worried by the publicity, elderly people contacted the health authority to ask what would happen to them if they became ill. An all-day workshop, attended by elderly people, chief executives, nurses, social workers and representatives from the community health council and ambulance services, led to several initiatives, including a rapid response home service, which helped prevent a crisis last winter.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Isolation of differentially expressed sequence tags from steroid-responsive cells using mRNA differential display.

Transcriptional control of steroid-regulated gene networks by nuclear receptor proteins results in the coordinate expression of a limited number of target genes. Although much is known about the structure and function of steroid receptors, relatively few cell-specific steroid-regulated genes have been isolated and characterized. In this paper we describe results using mRNA differential display reverse transcriptase PCR (DDPCR) to identify and isolate short cDNA sequence tags from thymocyte and prostate cells under various hormone conditions. Using this technique we have isolated several differentially expressed sequence tags (DESTs) from the mouse thymocyte cell line WEHI 7.2. Two of these DESTs, GIG10 and GIG18, are rapidly induced by dexamethasone within 2 h of treatment. GIG10 is a novel sequence and GIG18 is the mouse homologue of a human expressed sequence tag isolated from activated B lymphocytes. We also used DDPCR to isolate DESTs from androgen-modulated rat ventral prostate tissue, one of which we characterized and found to correspond to the 3' end of prostatic spermine binding protein mRNA, a known androgen-regulated gene. Modifications of the original DDPCR protocol, which we found can potentially decrease the frequency of isolating false-positive DESTs, are described and the merits of DDPCR, relative to other differential cDNA cloning strategies, are discussed.

Androgens↗
PubMed1991

Investigations into the induction of aneuploidy and polyploidy in mammalian cells by the anti-tussive agent noscapine hydrochloride.

Noscapine, a non-narcotic, centrally-acting anti-tussive drug induces polyploidy in Chinese hamster CHL cells; further studies were carried out to investigate whether similar effects could be induced in other rodent cells (Chinese hamster V79) and in human lymphocytes. In both cases, large increases in the frequency of polyploid cells were induced at test concentrations ranging from 15 to 120 micrograms/ml after 24 and 48 h continuous treatment in the absence of S9 mix. In addition, spindle damage was observed in V79 cells and human skin fibroblasts after 24 h treatment with test concentrations of 30 and 60 micrograms/ml. Furthermore, after treatment of human skin fibroblasts there was a marked increase in the proportion of cells containing chromosomes which had become dislocated from the spindle. Treatment of the mouse/human hybrid cell line R3-5 induced a significant increase in the number of 6-thioguanine resistant colonies and it was confirmed cytogenetically that these colonies had arisen due to loss of human chromosome 2. From these experiments it can be concluded that noscapine induces polyploidy in both rodent and human somatic cells, and that this could arise through a direct effect upon spindle structure and/or function. The aneugenic properties of noscapine are less certain and further work is required in this area. Exposure to the drug through its therapeutic use (15mg up to four times daily) could exceed, at least locally within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the concentration range shown to be active in these in vitro studies. An immediate topical hazard might exist within the buccal cavity and GI tract, but further confirmation of these in vitro results are required using suitable in vivo systems before definite conclusions can be made regarding any potential hazard associated with the administration of this drug.

Aneuploidy↗
PubMed1989

In vitro and in vivo cytogenetic studies of three beta-lactam antibiotics (penicillin VK, ampicillin and carbenicillin).

The in vitro and in vivo clastogenic potential of three beta-lactam antibiotics, ampicillin, carbenicillin and penicillin VK, was investigated using cultured human lymphocytes and the rat micronucleus test. Neither ampicillin nor carbenicillin induced significant increases in chromosome damage in vitro up to test concentrations of 10 mg/ml. These results contrast with other published studies on these compounds. Both drugs were also inactive in vivo in the rat micronucleus test, using single- or double-dosing regimens (ampicillin 5 g/kg orally; carbenicillin 500 mg/kg i.m., either dosed once 30 h before marrow preparation, or dosed twice 48 and 24 h before marrow preparation). In vitro, penicillin VK induced a dose-related increase in chromosome and chromatid gaps and breaks, down to concentrations of 1.25 mg/ml. It is likely that the increase in aberration frequency was partly the result of exposing the cells to increased K+ ion concentration, as similar results were obtained when potassium chloride was evaluated over the same molar concentration range. However, the occurrence of 'ion-mediated' clastogenic effects as reported by other workers, does not fully account for the positive effects obtained with this compound, as clastogenic effects were also observed with penicillin V in this test system at similar test concentrations. It is known that exposure of mammalian cells to extremely high concentrations of beta-lactams can affect DNA polymerase alpha activity. An inhibitory effect upon DNA polymerase alpha resulting in a breakdown in the structural integrity of the chromosomes, is suggested as an additional mechanism of action for penicillin VK.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Ampicillin↗
PubMed1988

Investigations into the genotoxic potential of loxtidine, a long-acting H2-receptor antagonist.

Loxtidine, a potent, non-competitive histamine H2-receptor antagonist was evaluated for genotoxic potential using a range of short-term mutagenicity assays. Unequivocally negative results were obtained in a Salmonella/plate incorporation assay and a liquid pre-incubation assay (using S. typhimurium strains TA1535, TA100, TA1537, TA1538 and TA98), a fluctuation assay [using Escherichia coli strains WP2, WP2 uvrA (R46) and 343/113 lys60 (R46)], a gene conversion assay (using Saccharomyces cerevisiae JD1) and a human peripheral lymphocyte cytogenetic assay. All of these in vitro tests were carried out in the presence and absence of rat liver S9 mix. In addition, the major metabolites of loxtidine in the rat were also negative in the same range of microbial mutagenicity assays. Loxtidine was inactive in the mouse micronucleus test after oral administration. The potential nitrosatability of loxtidine was investigated using an expanded version of the WHO Nitrosation Assay Procedure, and detectable quantities of mutagenic nitroso-species were not formed. The subsequent appearance of carcinoid tumours within the gastric fundus of rodents treated orally with loxtidine for most of their natural lifespan, led to additional assays being carried out on this compound to determine whether the tumorigenic effects were due to alternative mutagenic mechanisms. Negative results were obtained in an in vitro unscheduled DNA synthesis assay using primary rat hepatocytes, and an assay for spindle damaging agents using Muntjac skin fibroblasts. It can be concluded from these results that loxtidine is unlikely to be a genotoxic carcinogen. The increase in carcinoid tumour incidence observed in rats and mice after loxtidine treatment was probably related to the prolonged achlorhydria produced by this potent unsurmountable histamine H2-receptor antagonist.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

The use of a simple haematoxylin and eosin staining procedure to demonstrate micronuclei within rodent bone marrow.

In the pharmaceutical industry, the majority of drug-safety evaluation studies are carried out preferentially in the rat. Consequently, drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion profiles are available for this species. Such data usually have to be generated independently in the mouse, to allow validation of any micronucleus tests carried out in this species. Unfortunately, at the present time, the rat is not ideal for use in the micronucleus test due to the presence of large numbers of contaminating mast cell granules. Such granules are stained blue by the most commonly accepted staining procedure (May-Grunwald-Giemsa), and can be erroneously scored as micronuclei when they overlay erythrocytes. A simple haematoxylin and eosin staining procedure was evaluated in the micronucleus test using rats and mice. With this procedure, micronuclei stained blue-black and were readily distinguishable from cell inclusions resembling micronuclei such as mast cell granules, which remained unstained. Essentially similar quantitative data for micronucleus incidence and erythrocyte distribution were obtained in mice using this staining technique when compared to the use of the more established May-Grunwald-Giemsa staining procedure. However, unlike the use of the May-Grunwald-Giemsa procedure, the use of the haematoxylin and eosin stains allowed the accurate estimation of micronucleus incidence within the marrows of treated rats in the presence of contaminating mast-cell granules. Furthermore, unlike alternative procedures using fluorescent stains, the haematoxylin and eosin stained preparations are stable, constitute a permanent record of the experiment, and can be analysed at the convenience of the investigator. Therefore, this staining procedure may offer a useful alternative, for example, when evaluating rat bone-marrow smears within which considerable mast cell contamination can occur.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗